Police charge sex dancers, organizers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police continued their investigation on Monday into five people arrested during a raid on a live sex show in the early hours of Sunday, charging them with conducting obscene activities.

The five were nabbed in a posh karaoke club at a five-star hotel in Central Jakarta.

"The two erotic dancers, who were offered Rp 2 million (US$217) by the organizers to perform a live sex show, have been charged with Article 282, section 3. We are also charging three people from the organizer, Tiramisu Communication, with Article 296 of the Criminal Code," said Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Edmon Ilyas.

Article 282, section 3 stipulates that those involved in the sex industry can be sentenced to 32 months in prison, while Article 296 states that those who facilitate others' involvement in the sex industry are punishable by up to 16 months in prison.

Led by Central Jakarta chief of detectives Comr. AR Yoyol, police conducted the raid following a complaint last Wednesday from the club's manager, identified only as Charlie.

Charlie lodged the complaint, he claimed, as his club was a clean, respectable venue. He only found out about the nature of the show from an advertisement in Jakarta-based Pos Kota, which is well known for its extensive coverage of crime, as well as its wide range of classified ads.

During the raid, police also took 25 other people into custody for questioning, including 15 guests. The guests reportedly paid Rp 500,000 each to enjoy the live sex performance.

The raid can be considered a successful one as police were able to arrest the organizers, who attempted to conduct the illicit activity at an upscale premise. Police and the city administration's public order officials usually target street prostitutes and sex workers from the lower-income bracket.